Mind Games
by kimiko yuki
Summary: [AU]What is it about a killer's mind that we find irresistibly fascinating? For a someone like Sakura, it's the thrill of the catch and the danger of revelation. But can she uncover the secrets behind the mind of Itachi Uchiha, before she loses her own?


**Mind Games**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. Satisfied?

**Summary:** AU Caught between a deadly game of power and deceit, can the renowned psychologist Sakura Haruno uncover the mysteries behind the mind of the killer Itachi… before she looses her own?

**Warning:** may contain some adult situations later on.

------------------

------------------

**Chapter 1: One Sour Morning**

The television in her apartment buzzed noisily, tuned as usual on the news channel while she fixed a hurried breakfast of eggs and toast. She managed to wake up late this morning and was scurrying to and fro uselessly, trying to get things in order so she could leave for work in time. A splitting headache made her wince and her stomach threatened to spill its unpleasant contents down on the floor. Her paled hand reached out to massage her throbbing temples while silently cussing her friend for hooking her up on yet another blind date. Ino had insisted that she and Hinata go out with her and her _men-friends _the night before. Unfortunately, because of a certain blonde female who was unfashionably tardy, they came in late for their restaurant reservation and ended up having separate tables, each with their exclusive dates for company.

It was an interesting night, really, but not in a pleasant way. The pink haired female couldn't help but wish that she had begged pardon from her best friend and stayed at home. Ino had imposed it upon herself to get Sakura romantically involved with someone at least once a week and had haphazardly thrown peculiar men her way. _Peculiar_ was actually an understatement, having had her fair share of men who couldn't stop oogling at her cleavage long enough to look at her face, not to mention those occasional guys who were so stuck up on themselves they ought to have dated a mirror.

She never thought ill about Ino's match-making duty before, and with a practiced sense of respect, even managed to remain civilized in dealing with the men she was forced to date for the night. The blonde's intentions were good and they have been best friends since high school. Sakura trusted Ino with her life.

Last night's incidents, however, was just a bit too much.

And then there was Tsunade to deal with, a tyrannical female with oversized bosoms who would be more than pleased to skewer her pretty pink head if she found out that her employee was late for work again.

A splitting headache, an unstable stomach, with a dictatorial superior on the side, it was the perfect concoction for what she liked to call 'a rotten morning'.

"… And for the latest news, one of the most prominent clan in the nation, the Uchiha family, was found dead in their private complex late last night. Investigators say everyone in the household, including maids and servants, were dead by the time the police arrived at the place. Fugaku Uchiha's eldest son, Itachi Uchiha, was found at the scene of the crime holding what appeared to be the murder weapon, an antique katana sword taken from the family's personal collection…"

Her thoughts were suddenly drowned down by the voice of the newscaster on the television. Sakura stopped her movements abruptly which caused the glass of milk in her hand to spill while a piece of slightly burned toast almost made her choke. With a gagging cough, she set her emerald eyes directly at the photo of the said criminal displayed at the upper right portion of the screen. The news anchor (Tenten) chattered more details about the reports but Sakura was only half listening.

"…The Uchiha family was the primary owner of the Katon Industries one of the largest companies in the nation. The only known survivor of the massacre is Sasuke Uchiha who claimed to have abandoned the family three years earlier and left the country. He refused to speak with the press regarding the matter. Motives for the murder are yet to be determined…"

The television drowned into a black pool after she hurriedly clicked it off, not wanting to hear the rest of the story anymore. She took a huge gulp of milk to ease the queasiness of her stomach which somehow worsened after hearing the news. Learning how fucked up the world really was early in the day was not her idea of a pleasant morning.

Besides, she was half an hour behind schedule.

---------------------

"So how did it go? Do you like him?" Ino beamed as soon as she managed to set foot on Sakura's rather compact cubicle. The rosette haired female gave a fatigued sigh for an answer. She had just fought rush hour traffic, scurried past the throng of people, squeezed in at the elevator with other employees and made it to the office just in time.

"Just give me a moment to breathe, would you?" her patience was running low already and the day was just starting, a definite sign of unpleasant circumstances ahead.

Ino ignored the dangerous tone in her friends' voice and continued on chattering in her annoyingly shrill pitch, "Kiba's definitely going to call you. I mean, you two really looked positively cute together and it felt like you've known him for years! What were you two talking about? It must have been hours before either one stopped your little chat and I've never seen you so immersed in a conversation before." she grinned from ear to ear, pleased with herself for the playing the match-maker in what she thought was a budding romance. She went on again, citing every _cute_ detail of the night before with giddy swishes of her arm.

Sakura just closed her eyes and shook her head at her friends' complete lack of sensitivity. In her opinion, there was absolutely nothing cute about the guy and it was mostly Kiba who did all the taking while she contentedly drowned the hours away with alcohol. She struggled with words, trying to find the most subtle way to say what on her mind, or else, she would have to suffer Ino's comments about how _cute_ they looked together up until lunch.

"Listen to me, Ino," she finally interrupted the blondes' on going tirade, waving a hand in front of her face and leaning on one foot for emphasis. "The only reason why our little chat went on for hours was because he wouldn't stop taking about his little dog. By the end of the night, I had learned the dog's name, its birth date, favorite food, dislikes, exercise regimen and even the little mutt's pooping routine which, mind you, was a topic I was totally unprepared for. And after all that talk, I can't even recall the guy's name, although if you want to know, I could probably tell you Akamaru's ancestors starting from the third generation." She blurted out with a hint of cynicism in her voice.

'_Way to go, Sakura!'_ she congratulated herself, '_that was really subtle.'_

"Was it that bad?" the blonde asked questioningly, still doubting Sakura's words. "I mean, you looked absolutely engrossed in his stories and your eyes were sparkling the whole time."

"Must have been the alcohol." She replied dismissively while trying to put the stuff on her table in order. "Besides, what kind of decent guy carries loads of dog pictures in his wallet? I've heard about men who haul photos of women in skimpy attires around with them, but 'dogs'? Sheesh! Really Ino, the kinds of men you expect me to put up with!" she dropped her notes on the table with a loud thud.

"Well you don't have to sound so cynical about it! I was only trying to help." Ino replied defensively, clearly hurt that her efforts were unappreciated.

Sakura instantly felt guilty about bashing on her friend as if the bad date was her doing.

"I'm sorry, Ino. It wasn't your fault. It's just that I'm having a really lousy day." she apologized sincerely.

"I guess that's the after-effect of being totally loveless." Ino folded her arms across her chest knowingly, trying to suppress the vicious smirk that tugged up at her lips. She leaned forward and pretended to whisper, "God knows it has been ages since your last relationship. Are you sure you're over that guy? What was his name again? Hawk Sea, or something like that." the blonde retaliated, eyes gleaming with concealed malice. She stated the remark just a notch louder which practically ensured that the few people around the cubicle were able to hear every single word. They glanced at Sakura with an expression of dislike slightly mixed with pity and another girl even went so far as to shake her head in disgust.

Everyone in the office knew the drastic tale of Sakura's breakup with someone from another department, which supposedly broke the poor guy to pieces. It was drastic, only because it was Ino who shrewdly announced it to the whole office, emphasized of course, by her over dramatic method of story telling. The truth was soon lost in the sea of office gossips and lunchroom chitchat where no one was really interested to hear the actual story. It was a proven fact that rumors make better conversation than reality.

"It's Rock Lee, for your information and I broke up with him because the he's an absolute stalker and wouldn't shut up about his 'power of youth' theory. The guy's a total nutcase and that's coming from a licensed psychologists' diagnosis!" Sakura hissed in defense, starring daggers at the smirking woman in front of her. Ino could be so sleazy in her attacks sometimes and while Sakura treated the blonde like the sister she never had and love her like family… right then, she wanted nothing better than to slap her best friend senseless. They were sisters alright, and bickering like immature children and making each others' life miserable came with the territory.

Ino was spared the rather insolent slap against cheek and unsightly scratch marks when another female arrived by the door, walking along the aisle timidly as if she were measuring every step. Hinata Hyuuga seemed to have the exceptional ability to see every minute detail in the human body with her pearlescent eyes, making her one of the best autopsy specialist in the department. But by her undisguised innocence and the hesitation in her steps, no one would have ever guessed that she had seen more dead bodies than anyone else in the unit.

"Hey there, Hinata!" Ino shouted her name with a finger pointing down inside the booth indicating that the raven haired beauty should join them inside the already crowded stall.

Hinata looked startled for a short moment before making her way through the maze of square compartments, all the while apologizing for disrupting the peace of other workers, until she finally found herself inside Sakura's workplace.

"At least here's someone who can appreciate all my hard work!" Ino draped a slender arm across Hinata's shoulder and shook her almost violently.

"Why can't you spare poor Hinata from your absurd match-making scheme? Heaven knows she's not prepared for all that crap. Can't you see you're frightening her?" Sakura said in a warning tone.

Ino just made a disgusted face towards Sakura and turned her attention back on her shy co-worker. "Well? What are you waiting for? Spit it out! What did you two talked about?" she prodded an elbow at Hinata's side which made the reserved girl blush into crimson while playing circles with her fingers.

Sakura was just as curious to find out how her friends' blind date had gone and so, persuaded the quiet female slightly, "I wouldn't hurt to tell us, you know."

"Tell us! Tell us!" Ino cried overenthusiastically, earning a stinging slap on the arm from Sakura.

Hinata took a deep breath and finally managed to squeak out a small sound. "Well… umm… it was interesting really…We talked about… about…"

"Yes… yes… go on." Ino urged, hanging on the raven's every syllable. Sakura leaned forward so she wouldn't miss a word.

"We talked about…" Hinata blushed even redder. "We talked about… bugs."

"Bugs?" Ino repeated with a creased brow, questioning if what she had just heard was right. Sakura gagged behind her with red puffed cheeks, trying to stifle the hysterical laugh that threatened to disrupt silence of the rest of the floor.

"See what I'm trying to tell you! The men you expect us to put up with!" Sakura cried triumphantly.

"Oh just shut up!" Ino huffed scornfully.

"But… but… Shino-san's discussion about bugs is actually interesting. I mean, who knew there is almost a million different species of anthropods in the world." Hinata remarked in Shino's defense, blushing even more if it was possible, "and… and did you know that the largest insect in the world is the…"

Sakura placed a sympathetic arm around Hinata's shoulder and said with a friendly voice, "My dear Hinata, one of these days you're gonna have to find the courage to tell someone to just_ shut the fuck up._"

Hinata's eyes widened with horror at the mention of the word '_fuck'_ and squirmed around uncomfortably while playing with her fingers.

"Now you're the one who's frightening her." Ino blurted out.

"Well that's not my fault. Anyway, where on earth do you pick up these guys? Please don't tell me you made us go out with someone you just plucked randomly on the street," Sakura spat back.

"I don't just 'pluck men' out from the street," Ino replied harshly, her eyes narrowing into a dangerous angle, "and if you must know, they are colleagues of my current boyfriend." she added proudly.

"Which one?" Sakura asked pointedly.

Ino looked at her with a puzzled expression, "What do you mean 'which one'?"

"I think what she means is 'which one among your current boyfriends were you referring to.'" Hinata stated shyly.

"The one I brought with me last night of course." Ino replied, as if currently having more than one boyfriend was a natural thing. "Shikamaru works at the at the crime scene analysis department. I heard he's brilliant at what he does, kind of lazy though, but brilliant nonetheless."

Sakura just sighed in response. If someone like Ino could fish out a civilized guy while she remained single, then there must be something wrong with her. "Feels like I always get stuck with the weird ones. What does a girl have to do to get a decent guy out here!?" she exclaimed.

"You can always go out with me, Sakura-chan!" a mop of spiky blonde hair suddenly appeared from the other side of the divider. Hinata let out a loud squeak before collapsing into the chair unconscious while the Sakura had to restrain herself from bashing her overexcited co-worker.

"Stop popping out like that, Naruto! You're gonna give Hinata a heart attack!" she growled madly while holding a tightened fist in front of her, "and what do you think you're doing eavesdropping on us like that!"

Naruto defended himself, "I wasn't eavesdropping. It's not my fault you girls talk so loud."

"Yeah right! What the hell are you doing there then? That's not your cubicle! Yours is way over there." Ino pointed out to the other side of the room.

Naruto scratched his head sheepishly. "I just wanted to ask if Sakura-chan wanted to go out with me tonight. I got movie tickets and we could go and eat some ramen afterwards," he asked with a wide grin on his childlike face.

"I'm busy." Sakura replied almost immediately and waved a dismissive hand at him.

Naruto pouted at her reply but knew better than to push the quick tempered female's buttons. He had been on the receiving end of her fists way to much to learn that it hurts… a lot. He folded his arms across his chest with a look of deep concentration on his face. He glanced at Ino whose eyes seemed to burn with a message, _'Don't you even dare'_. Just the thought of spending a night with someone like Ino had him shivering with fear. _'Nope, definitely not'_ he nodded to himself. So that means…

Hinata, who had just regained consciousness, was busy fanning herself with one hand and was trying to cover the blush that clearly stained her cheeks.

"So how 'bout it, Hinata-chan? Are you free tonight?" he asked the reserved female, peering inside the stall by holding onto the edge of the divider.

She just looked at him with wide, pearlescent eyes for a long while before the meaning behind his words finally registered into her confounded brain. And when it did, it took all her strength to keep herself from fainting again. She had always admired him from afar, peeking through the stalls just to catch a glimpse of the hyperactive blonde and while they remain good friends, she had never had the courage to step beyond that line and pursue something more than friendship.

"Are you alright? Do you have a fever? You look all red and warm." Naruto asked innocently with concern evident in his voice. He reached out a hand across the divider to touch her forehead with his palm and feel her temperature. "If you'd rather stay home and rest tonight, I wouldn't mind. We can go out some other time."

The raven managed to squeal before fainting again.

"Hey, Hinata-chan! Wake up!" Naruto screamed. Her head just nodded along with the rest of her body as he shook shoulder her violently. He turned around to Sakura and Ino who were trying to hide the smirk on their faces. "We have to get her to the nurse's office quick!" he yelled.

'_How can this guy be so clueless? You owe me big, Hinata'_ Ino thought to herself.

"No, no, she's perfectly fine. Don't worry about it. And yes, she's free tonight. Just pick her up at around seven, ok?" she smiled innocently at him. She was pretty much sure Hinata wouldn't mind if Naruto suddenly pop out at her doorstep later that evening. She would probably faint again, but then, it would be her secret crush who would catch her in his arms. _'There's nothing like the 'damsel in distress routine' to lure away an unsuspecting prey.'_ Ino told herself, once again, proud for playing matchmaker between the two.

By then, they were making so much noise that the other workers were starting to throw deadly glares at them for disrupting the silence. Sakura finally noticed the hostility in the air and decided to break up the group before things got too messy. "We should get back to work. I don't think we're paid to chat around about our personal lives up until five." she said matter-of-factly. Ino huffed and pouted at her comment, clearly guilty of the hidden accusation.

"Can you carry Hinata back to her stall?" the pink female turned towards Naruto who quickly went to the other side of the divider and carried the sleeping raven back to her cubicle. Ino waved a goodbye and started to walk back to her place, flaunting her hair and swinging her shapely hips which earned a few lustful stares from other male employees.

Sakura sank back to her swivel chair contentedly once all three were out of her compartment. Her headache returned with a vengeance and she was almost tempted to bang her head against the table just to make the migraine go away. She laid the side of her head on the table instead, cushioned by her soft arms and savored the moment of peace now that Ino's shrill voice was not within earshot.

Stacks of important documents that needed to be filed perched dangerously at one corner of her table. Another mountain of papers were waiting to be read along with thick, hard covered psychology books which were never opened. The small clock under a lampshade ticked annoyingly. She watched the second hand move a full circle before concluding that it was broken and needed to be thrown away. It seemed to her that time was moving slower than usual today and each second felt more like an hour. A manicured hand reached out to push the stray pink locks away from her fatigued eyes. Barely an hour had gone by but she could hardly wait until it was time to go back home.

She leaned back on the chair which creaked unpromisingly and turned her focus back on her tasks. Tsunade wanted a report, one that has yet to be written, before the end of the day and dallying languidly on her desk would not help one bit. She jerked the chair forward to get into a more comfortable position and tried to shake the fatigue off her body. Sakura loved her career, forensic psychology, but hated the troublesome paperwork that went with it.

The thrill of uncovering the layers of the human mind, that was what lured her into this profession. She had always been a thrill seeker and what could be more exciting than solving the secrets of a criminal's mind? What made them want to kill? Was it their insatiable urge to dominate the weak or could they blame it on the demands of a perfect society?

Its many facets and infinite possibilities was an interest that she had taken to heart and pursued with reverence. She graduated top of the class at the university without parents to financially support her needs and was one among the few who was recruited by the Konoha's Investigation Bureau.

Her job requires the application of psychological principles to determine matters of competency to stand trial and criminal responsibility. In other words, she was the one they called upon to conclude whether the accused stood at the side of open-minded rationality or just sheer insanity.

The phone on her desk rang loudly, jerking her away from her thoughts. An annoyed crease formed on her forehead but she pushed the speaker button and said automatically, "Sakura Haruno speaking."

"Miss Haruno, its Shizune. Tsunade wanted to speak to you in her office please." the secretary replied politely but Sakura could hear her boss' voice booming loudly in the background. _'I want that pink girls' fat ass inside my office now!'_ Shizune tried to muffle the receiver. It did not work.

She sounded pissed. Sakura hoped it was not about the report that she submitted last week. It was two days late and heaven knew that the tyrant who sat at the largest office on the department was as rigid as a rock when it came to punctuality.

She made her way to the office which stood apart and occupied almost one whole side of the floor space. Shizune opened the door before Sakura could even knock on it and led her to Tsunade's desk.

The office was huge and with a floor to ceiling window encompassing the outer part of the room, it was simply magnificent. It provided a breath taking view of Konoha's busy community, bustling with energy and full of life. Sakura loved being inside this office and look upon the city behind the splendid windows, often wondering if this place could possibly belong to her one day.

But then, her emerald eyes traveled over the stacks of folders, neatly organized according to importance by the ever reliable Shizune, waiting to be read and signed. A whole pile of books and documents that were either misplaced or had little significance littered the floor. She tried her best not to knock them over and make more mess. Sakura frowned for a moment when she recognized the report that she had written two months ago was among them. She immediately withdrew her thoughts of someday taking over this responsibility.

'_Ha! At least I'm not the only one stuck with paperwork up to her ass.' _she thought to herself.

"Take a seat." Tsunade waved a hand to a chair across from her.

Sakura did not sit down but instead tilted head in an arrogant manner and jerked her feminine hips in an aggressive stance, both hands resting on her slender waist. "If I may say so, Tsuande-sama, my name is Sakura Haruno, not 'pink girl' and my ass is not fat!" she replied harshly. Apparently, proper etiquette for superiors was unheard of in this part of the department.

"Your ass belongs to me, Haruno, and if I say that it's fat, then it probably is." Tsunade smiled sarcastically. It seemed that proper etiquette towards workers were unheard of as well. "Anyway, that's not why I called you in here. Take a seat, Haruno. I will not be offering it again."

Sakura made a cheeky face towards the older woman but otherwise took the seat offered and crossed slender legs. Tsunade instantly tossed a folder across the table towards her, almost spilling its contents of papers and photographs. The younger woman pried the cover and started to read the first page, her eyes growing wider and wider as she read through the paragraphs. Then, she quickly picked up the pieces of papers and scanned each page hurriedly until she reached the last one. Her heart was racing by the time she closed the folder and placed both trembling hands on it.

"This is…" Sakura started to talk but Tsuande interrupted her.

"I'm sure you've heard about it this morning. The press is having a field day. They have been breathing fire down my neck the moment I took a step out of my car. It is the Uchiha case, Haruno, and I'm giving it to you." the blonde replied somberly, both hands clasped together and elbows placed on the mahogany desk.

The door to the office suddenly flew open and a stomping female entered the room angrily, followed by a very flustered secretary. "Why does she get to have the Uchiha case?" Ino demanded with arms crossed against her chest, asking the exact same question Sakura wanted to raise. It seemed that news in the workroom, does indeed, spread like a brushfire, especially when Ino was right in the middle of it.

Tsunade shook her head hopelessly, _'does anybody around here respect me at all?'_

Ino tapped her foot impatiently.

"The reason is quite simple, actually. As you very well know, Haruno here was the one who solved the Orochimaru case a year ago…" Tsunade waved a hand towards Sakura for emphasis, "and in my infinite knowledge as the_ head_ of this department, I am not about to give a case of this magnitude to an amateur."

"She's just an amateur herself. It was just dumb luck that got her that case in the first place." Ino scoffed harshly.

Sakura tried not to feel hurt by her statement, but the fact was, the truth always hurt.

"That might be so, but there is a fine line between luck and instinct." Tsuande motioned to Shizune who stood meekly at the door. "Now if you would please escort Yamanaka out my office, I would like to talk to Sakura alone."

Sakura watched as Ino was guided out the office. When the door finally clicked to a close, she turned her eyes back at her superior who was watching her intently.

"She was telling the truth, you know. It was just plain luck that I got the case. No one else wanted it."

"And I was telling the truth as well. There is a fine line between luck and instinct, and you chose to follow yours." Tsunade replied. "Now, if you are done feeling sorry for yourself, do you want this case or not?"

"I do."

"Good, I want answers, Haruno. I want to know this man's intentions, motivations, personality and behavior. I want to know his favorite food, his hobbies and even his dirty fantasies if it would help our case. Prod, poke, scavenge, do whatever it is that you do but do it quickly. I want a report on my desk every Monday, understood?"

The phone rang suddenly and Tsuande instantly hit the speaker button. "What is it this time?" she shouted angrily at the other line.

Shizune's soft voice replied fro the other side. "Miss Tenten from channel nine is on line one and would like to schedule an interview about the Uchiha massacre."

"Tell her to piss off." the blonde yelled back on the phone before putting it down.

"See what I have to deal with. And it's only been one day!" she raised her hands up in frustration. "I haven't seen this much controversy since Orochimaru and heaven knows I have no flair for the media. I have to give these people something, anything just to get them off my freakin ass."

"I'll get right on it." Sakura stood up abruptly, took the folder with her and headed for the door. Her soft hand almost touched the doorknob when she decided to turn back sharply and face her superior. "I almost forgot, Tsuande-sama. My conditions still apply." It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes, yes, I know. I've anticipated that you'd want it that way. I already made arrangements." The blonde waved a hand while cradleling an aching head with the other. "No guards, no cameras… none of those two way mirror thingies... just you and your tape recorder. I would advise you to be extra careful though. Remember, he is unstable and I don't want you to have false reassurances. I want you to report to me quick if something goes wrong."

"Thank you, Tsuande-sama. I promise I'll be careful." she replied back and almost closed the door behind her when she decided to jerk her head back in. "Oh yeah, I would also like an office of my own, if you don't mind." Sakura added cheekly. She closed the door immediately which saved her from a large bump on the head since Tsuande had chosen a heavy paperweight to throw right back at her.

-------------------------

A/N: I got another major fic that I have to finish but this plot bunny just kept nagging at me. More about the Orochimaru case will be revealed as the story progresses.

P.S. I have nothing against Kiba, Shino and Lee, its part of the story. Just wanted to make that clear.


End file.
